Costume



July 1, 1947.

1.. s. BLAIR COSTUME Filed July 1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR. 1501 421 Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,423,170 COSTUME Lillian Sorrels Blair, Memphis, Tenn.

Application July 1, 1946, Serial No. 680,660

3 Claims.

Ihls invention relates to improvements in clothing, particularly to play suits, and has especial reference to a simple and efficient construc- .tion of such suits and the method used in accomplishing such construction.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide .a play suit construction eliminatingthe use of patterns and cutting of material to form;

To provide a play suit construction employing squares of material having prefinished edges without necessity of cutting or shaping operation thereon;

To construct a play suit by folding and stitching together squares of material having finished edges.

In accomplishing these objects, I preferably use two handkerchiefs to provide the finished edge squares, fold these handkerchiefs to accomplish the desired design and secure the folded portions in position by stitching.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a completed suit.

Fig. 2 is a, similar front view showing the squares employed and their relative positioning before folding, with the fold lines of the front square indicated.

Fig. 3 is a back view of the completed suit; and

Fig. 4 the back view of the squares showing fold lines of the back square.

All views" show visible portions of shoulder straps which are attached after the suit is otherwise substantially finished.

Referring now' to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals;

II is a square of material having elges HA finished by hemstitching, which is to be folded to form the front of the suit, and i3 a square of similar size, also having finished edges I3A, which is folded to form the back of the garment.

The two squares are disposed with one diagonal IIB of the front square ll vertical and the side edges of the back square l3, also vertical and symmetrically disposed with relation to the diagonal NE of the front square and with its upper edge slightly below the upper apex C of the front square.

The front square is creased along lines HD diverging downward from the apex IIC so that the sectors HE will fold behind a central dart I13, and is reverse'ly crossed along lines ilG, also diverging downward from the apex. This is accomplished by folding the square backward along the diagonal HB and stitching the halves of the square back to back together along the lines HG and therrfiattening the dart to establish the creases IID.

The lateral corners Ill-I are folded forward along the lines I IJ, the lower edges l [K of these corners overlapping edge portions of the dart and are stitched down. Preferably the side edges 4 IL which become the top edges of these corners in Fig. 1 are not stitched down and the corners form pockets for the suit.

Substantially the top third 13B of the back is folded outward and downward about a transverse line [30 and a belt portion I3D outlined by stitching, this belt portion being drawn in by gathering if desired, though such gathering is not shown. The lower part of the front square is folded upward about the lower edge of the back square, the lower part of the dart HF extending well upward along the outside of the back square and overlapping the lower edge of the downwardly folded portion HE, and is stitched down. The lower corners [3E of theback square are folded backward and upward about diagonal lines [3F into overlapping relation with the side edges of the dart HF and the edges of the corners stitched down.

Side portions I3G of the back square are folded forwardly, preferably into underlying relation with the edge portions HM of the front square, and are provided with fastening means, as buttons l5, the side edges of the front sheet being provided with suitable button holes. Thus folded the diagonal folds of the back square along the lines I3F and the folds of the front squares along the lines H J outline leg openings.

Shoulder straps I! are'stitched at one end to the apex C of the front square, preferably on the inner side, and diverge upwardly therefrom, these straps being folded backwardly above the apex and preferably converged in crossing relation downward, and provided on their opposite ends with fastening means, preferably buttons 49 which engage suitable button holes in the belt portion I3D of the back square.

Variations in size of the suit may obviously be accomplished by the size of the squares, but with any given size of squares, the suit may be made longer or smaller by decreasing or increasing the width of the central dart HF.

Squares of any desired size may be provided and their edges finished neatly and these squares 3 then folded and assembled as described, but it will be understood that I prefer to use men's handkerchiefs of the very usual seventeen inch size which have hemmed, hemstitched or other finished edges and lend themselves to a considerable range of sizes.

I claim:

1. A garment comprising a front and a back square of cloth having finished edges, and a pair of shoulder straps; said front square being disposed with its diagonals respectively vertical and horizontal, folded and stitched symmetrically about said vertical diagonal to form a central dart diverging downward from the upper end of said diagonal; having its lateral corners folded forwardly to bring their respective lower edges in overlying relation to the side edges of said dart and stitched thereto, said back square being disposed with its side edges vertical and symmetrically positioned with relation to said vertical diagonal and its upper edge substantially at the upper end of said diagonal, substantially the upper third of said back being folded backward and downward and stitched along its lower edge to said back and adjacent the folded edge to outline a belt portion; the lower end of said dart being folded backward around the lower edge of said back square and stitched thereto, the lower corners of said back square being folded backward and upward to bring the lower edges of said corners into overlying relation to the side edges of said dart and stitched thereto, side portions of the mid section and downwardly folded sections of said back square and the upper portion thereof folded thereagainst, being forwardly folded into edge lapping relation to the side edges of said front square and detachably secured thereto by fastening means, as buttons, said shoulder straps being secured as by stitching to the upper apex of said front square and as by buttons to the belt portion of said back square.

2. A garment including a front, and a back square of cloth having finished edges, said front square being disposed with its diagonals respecti-vely vertical and horizontal, folded and stitched symmetrically about said vertical diagonal to form a central dart diverging downward from the upper end of said diagonal, having its lateral corners folded forwardly with their respective lower edges in lapping relation to the side-edges of said dart and stitched thereto, the side edges of said corners being left unstitched to form pockets, said back square being disposed with its side edges vertical and symmetrically positioned with relation to said vertical diagonal, and its upper edge substantially at the upper end of said diagonal, substantially the upper third of said back being folded backward and downward and stitched along its lower edge to said back and adjacent the folded edge to outline a belt portion, the lower end of said dart being folded backward around the lower edge of said back square and stitched thereto, th lower corners of said back square being folded backward and upward to bring the lower edges of said corners into lapping relation to the side edges of said dart and stitched thereto, side portions of the middle section of said back square and the upper portion thereof folded thereagainst, being forwardly folded into edge lapping relation to the side edges of said front square and detachably secured thereto by fastening means as buttons.

3. A play suit comprising a front and a back square of cloth having finished edges, and a pair of shoulder straps, said front square being disposed with its diagonals respectively vertical and horizontal; having a central portion symmetrically about said vertical diagonal folded and stitched to form a dart diverging downward from the upper end of said diagonal; having its lateral corners folded forwardly With their respective lower edges in overlying relation to th side edges of said dart and stitched thereto, and their side edges left unstitched to form pockets; said back square being disposed with its side edges vertical and symmetrically positioned with relation to said vertical diagonal and with its upper edge substantially at the upperend of said diagonal, sub stantially the upper third of said back being folded backward and downward and stitched to said back, the lower end of said dart being folded backward around the lower edge of said back square and stitched thereto, the lower corners of said back square being folded backward and upward to bring the lower edges of said corners into lapping relation to the side edges of said dart and stitched thereto, side portions of the middle and downwardly folded sections of said back square being forwardly folded into edge lapping relation to the side edges of said front square and detachably secured thereto by fastening means, as buttons, said shoulder straps being secured as by stitching to the upper apex of said front square and as by buttons to the upper folded portion of said back square.

LILLIAN S. BLAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,568,449 Gardner Jan. 5, 1926 2,081,290 Buffington May 25, 1937 

